


Profound Bond

by galaxystiel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 30 Day OTP Challenge, Destiel - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-18
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2017-12-08 19:33:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 15,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galaxystiel/pseuds/galaxystiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A spin on the 30 Day OTP challenge, with a few changes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Denial

**Author's Note:**

> This will take me longer to update than every day, because I have four OTPs to work through.

 

  


“Woah, Cas, what the hell?” Dean protested, backing away hurriedly. “What are you doing?”

Castiel frowned. “I was holding your hand, Dean. I thought this was a human thing? I see people holding hands all of the time.”

Dean looked at Sam for support, who hid his amusement at his brother’s glare. “Cas, only certain people hold hands. You know, people who have a sort of special bond.” He explained.

“I know. Like Dean and I. We have a profound bond, I told you.” Castiel replied, certainly.

Dean shook his head. “Not that kind of bond. Cas, couples hold hands. Friends don’t.”

Castiel cocked his head, staring at Dean in an way that unnerved him. “I know.” He said eventually, looking away. “I had hoped…” He trailed off.

Dean looked at the floor, knowing exactly what Castiel had hoped. It wasn’t that he didn’t return the angel’s feelings. It was that he thought he would have more time to come to terms with them himself before having to act on them. He was Dean Winchester. He’d never been in love, he’d never been in a relationship outside of the brief thing with Lisa. He was as straight as they came.

So how was it that he’d fallen for Cas?

It was unsettling, and Dean was questioning everything he’d ever known. He wasn’t sure when it happened, but it had dawned on him over time. He’d never tried to deny it to himself, but he did need time to accept it. It wasn’t fair to keep Cas in the dark about it. The angel was owed an explanation, if nothing else. Extremely conscious that Sam would be listening, Dean struggled to find the right words.

“Cas, I…” He looked up to find the angel gone. His expression closed off and he walked over to the Impala, sliding into the driver’s seat. Sam followed suit, and they pulled out of the parking lot and on to the highway.

“Dean…” Sam began, but faltered at the look Dean gave him.

“Not now, Sam.”

Sam shook his head. “Call for him. He always listens, even if he’s upset.”

Dean shook his head, keeping his eyes fixed on the road. “It’s not the right time.” His tone made it clear the subject was closed, so Sam let it drop, but both of them felt Castiel’s absence acutely.

It was at least four hours before they got to Bobby’s, and Dean had only just calmed down. He pulled up outside and gestured for Sam to get out.

“You’re not coming?” Sam asked.

Dean shook his head. “Gotta talk to Cas. Find out what Bobby’s got for us.”

He pulled away, driving just out the border of Sioux Falls. Pulling into an empty parking lot, Dean stopped the car and got out.

“Cas?” He called hesitantly. “Cas, I need to talk to you.”

He heard the wings before he turned around.

“What do you want, Dean? I think you made your feelings perfectly clear.”

Dean shook his head, facing Castiel. “Hear me out.”

“For what purpose? We are clearly on different pages. It is not of import.” Castiel shrugged, his face bearing no expression. That alone showed Dean how hurt Cas was, how desperate to conceal his feelings.

“No, it is of import.” Dean told him firmly. “I just…you need to give me time, man. This is a lot for me to deal with.”

Castiel frowned. “I do not understand.”

Dean sighed and awkwardly reached for Castiel’s hand, secretly enjoying the feel of the smooth palm against his own. The angel's eyes widened, the only sign of his surprise and happiness.

“It means we take things slow. I guess I can deal with holding hands for now. Just … not in front of Bobby. He’ll laugh you back to heaven.” Dean chuckled, shaking his head.

Castiel looked at their entwined hands, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. “Dean…” He began.

Dean shook his head. “Slow.” He reminded Castiel, who nodded, understanding. “Come on, Bobby’s got a case for us. You can ride shotgun.”


	2. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set immediately after the end of 5x13 The Song Remains The Same.

“And if you could save mom? What would you say?” Sam asked quietly, knowing Dean couldn’t argue.

Dean nodded, slightly, knowing Sam was right. The angels could use their desire to save their parents, hell, to save each other to make them say yes. All one of them had to do was kill Sam and Dean would do anything they said. He looked over at the unconscious angel on his bed. Everything Castiel had done for them, he had become important to Dean. Just as important as Sam or Bobby, just in a different way.

He didn’t see Castiel as family. He was sort of Dean’s best friend. His only friend, but it wasn’t just that. Dean cared for Cast a lot.

Tearing his eyes away from the angel on the bed, Dean turned to Sam to find his brother staring at him, an odd expression on his face. Dean cleared his throat, awkwardly.

“So what do we do about Captain Lively over there?” He nodded back at Castiel. Sam shrugged.

“What do you usually do with an unconscious angel?”

Dean shrugged. “Keep an eye on him until he wakes up?”

Sam nodded. “I’m gonna head out for something to eat, you want to take the first watch?”

“Bring me back a couple of burgers. And one for Cas. And some pie. _Don’t forget the pie_!” He called after Sam, who was already on his way out of the door. “He better not forgot the pie.” Dean grumbled, settling down on a chair next to Castiel’s sleeping form.

Castiel stirred and Dean’s head snapped around to watch him. The angel’s eyes flew open and he gasped awake, coughing and spluttering as he scrambled out of bed.

“Cas! Cas, it‘s alright, you‘re alright.” Dean helped him stand up, supporting most of the angel's weight.

Castiel managed to take a few deep breaths and calmed down. “Dean. We made it back.” He looked around. “Where’s Sam?”

“Gone to pick up some food. How you feeling?” Dean asked, concerned.

Castiel took a few seconds to examine himself. “Like I was just hit by a heavy duty truck.” He replied, groaning. “I presume you both made it back unharmed?”

“Don’t sound so surprised.” Dean replied, dryly. “It’s been known to happen on occasion.” He paused, awkwardly. “Listen, man, I’m glad you made it back okay. Sam was worried about you.”

Castiel looked up at him. “By that, do you mean you were worried about me, but would like to avoid what you refer to as a chick flick moment?”

Dean barely concealed his smile. Throwing caution to the wind, he pulled Castiel into a brief hug, one the angel just had time to reciprocate before he withdrew. Castiel’s eyes lit up with happiness as Dean pulled out of the hug and smiled at him awkwardly.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” He told him, moving back just as Sam came back with the food. Dean took the first burger and handed it to Castiel, who grinned at him, neither of them mentioning the hug that had let them both know how much they meant to each other.


	3. Bioshock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Contains frequent Bioshock references.

Dean’s eyes darted around the screen, looking for any splicers that were trying to sneak up on him. Sam sat behind him, enthralled in the game. Neither of them had played a video game in years, so when Bobby had found a Playstation 3 for cheap, accompanied with Bioshock, it was a huge treat for them. They were taking turns playing a level each, and this last one was Dean’s.

The only problem was, he was stuck on the penultimate level. He had to make his way through the Proving Grounds with a ‘little sister’, a child who could open the doors to lead him to Fontaine, the antagonist of the game. The issue was the vulnerability of the little sister, and Dean’s ego.

The ego had led him to choose the hard setting, a decision his was now rethinking.

“Dude, maybe we should’ve played it on easy first.” Sam told him.

Dean shrugged. “What’s done is done, we need to get past this bit otherwise we’ll have to start all over again. So let me think.”

A familiar sound distracted them from the game.

“Hey Cas,” Sam greeted with a smile. Dean just grunted and concentrated on the Big Daddy which was charging at him.

“What’s wrong with Dean?” Castiel asked, tilting his head, perturbed by the blunt response to his arrival, and offended that Dean didn't even look at him.

Dean grunted again. “Nothing. I’m just a little busy, that’s all.”

“What he means is, he’s stuck on this level and he wants to concentrate on it.” Sam clarified.

Castiel watched Dean for a few moments. “May I try?”

Dean looked up quickly, in surprise. “You want a go? _You_. Want a go.”

“That’s what I just said, was I unclear?” Castiel frowned.

Dean shook his head and handed over the controller, gesturing for the angel to take his space in front of the screen. He stood up and moved to sit with Sam, grinning.

“Dude, if there’s anyone who’s got to be worse than me, it’s Cas. This should make me feel better.” He whispered, fully prepared to watch Castiel fail miserably at the game.

So he was astounded when Castiel survived attack after attack, taking down the splicers with a surprising, but amazing accuracy, setting up traps that stopped them from getting to the little sister. When he came to the Big Daddy at the end, Castiel still had three quarters of his health, as did the little sister. Dean gaped as the level ended, and Castiel turned around, controller in hand.

“Sam’s turn, right?” He asked, handing the controller to Sam, who took his place in front of the PlayStation. “That was quite enjoyable.”

Dean just stared at him. “How did you do that?” He demanded.

“A lot more easily that you, from the sound of it.” The corner of Castiel's mouth crooked up, as if he was struggling to repress a grin. “Come on, we need to get Bobby. I think I have a lead on Crowley.”

He headed into the other room to look for Bobby, leaving Dean staring at him, wondering how Castiel had suddenly become so attractive.


	4. Effort

Sam blinked. That wasn’t exactly what he’d been expecting Cas to ask him. Dating was a human thing, and even if it wasn’t, well… Castiel and dating were two things he’d never have put together.

“Well…” He began slowly. “Dinner somewhere they like is usually a good start. You should pay for them. And maybe a movie.”

Castiel nodded, paying full attention. “And this is an acceptable first date?”

Sam frowned. “Cas, who do you want to take on a date anyway?”

“Dean.” He said matter-of-factly. “I’ve been waiting for him to ask me, but he has not. So I decided to ask him.”

Sam nodded, slowly. He couldn’t say he was surprised. He’d seen the way Castiel had looked at Dean for a while now, and he knew the angel had connected with Dean in a way that he hadn’t with anyone else, the strength of their ‘profound bond’ was unlike anything Sam had ever seen. It had been natural to assume that Castiel's feelings of friendship would eventually turn to love.

Dean’s feelings were less clear. While Sam was absolutely convinced that Dean returned Castiel’s feelings, he couldn’t be positive. Dean was pretty closed when it came to emotion, and even though Sam knew him well, he also knew that the idea of feelings for another man was a touchy subject where Dean was concerned. He couldn’t predict how well he would react to the idea of a date with Castiel.

The man in question walked out of the bedroom, stretching, his hair mussed. Castiel stared at him, unblinking. Dean grinned at him.

“Dude, nice of you to drop by.” He raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for an explanation as to Castiel’s recent absence. He didn’t get one.

“Would you like to go for dinner?” Castiel asked, bluntly, ignoring Dean’s blatant hint.

Surprised, Dean shrugged. “I could go for food. Coming Sammy?”

Sam shook his head quickly, noticing the angel’s momentary disappointment. “Uh, no, thanks. I’ll just get something later. You two have fun.”

“You sure?” Dean asked, swinging his jacket on. “Okay, well, we’ll be back later.”

Sam shook his head, more or less certain of two things. One, Dean hadn’t quite grasped the idea that Cas had just asked him on a date, and two, this just wasn't going to end well.

Castiel allowed Dean to drive them to the centre of town, even though he could've gotten them there much quicker with ‘zapping’, he knew how uncomfortable it made him.

“Where do you wish to eat?” Castiel spoke up as they reached the main part of town.

Dean shrugged. “I dunno, maybe we could get a burger. Are you eating?”

“I thought I would in this particular situation. I do not require food, but I wish for tonight to resemble normal.” Castiel told him, seriously.

Dean frowned slightly, but didn’t question why this night was different to any others. They hunted the supernatural, normal didn’t apply to their lives. He pulled into a parking space and slipped out of the car, followed by Castiel.

They took a seat in the diner, and Dean glanced down the menu quickly. Castiel did the same.

“They have pie.” He noted, enjoying the way Dean’s face lit up, his expression one of true pleasure.

“Love me some pie.” He agreed. “I think I’ll get the bacon cheeseburger and some apple pie. What about you?”

Castiel smiled. “I think I will have the same.”

He flagged down a passing waitress and placed their orders, along with two beers. Dean smiled.

“I guess you were right, Cas. Normal can be good.” He relented.

The angel smiled. They passed the time talking about everything except hunting. Dean told Castiel about the day he was given the Impala. In return, Castiel told Dean things about heaven, about their life before humanity, which Dean found fascinating.

When the food came, Dean picked up his burger hungrily. He’d just taken a bite when Castiel spoke up.

“Is it customary to see a movie after this?” He asked, pleasantly enough.

Realisation dawned and Dean inhaled his burger, sending himself into coughing fit. He dropped the burger and took a deep swig of beer to clear this throat, not noticing when Castiel appeared behind him to thump him on the back.

“Thanks.” He offered when he’d dislodged the food from his throat and took a large gulp of beer to soothe his throat. He paused. “Cas, is this a _date_?”

Castiel frowned. “Yes. I asked and you accepted. Did you not realise?”

Dean shook his head, quickly. “No.”

Disappointed, Castiel got to his feet. “Then I shall pay and we can leave. The purpose of this was not to make you uncomfortable, Dean.”

Dean swung his arm out and stopped Castiel from leaving. “Hey, not so fast there, Cas. I never said I was uncomfortable.” He frowned. “How are you planning on paying for this? You don’t have any money and there’s too many people around for you to use your angel mojo.”

The angel blushed and didn’t answer. Dean stared at him, refusing to let the matter drop. Realising he wasn't going to win this, Castiel stared at the floor.

“I… took a job. Cleaning windows. I wasn’t sure if it would be enough, but you picked a reasonably cheap place to eat.” Castiel admitted.

Dean stared at him. “You cleaned windows. To earn money to take me out?” His stomach growled and he looked around for his burger, noting with dismay that he’d dropped it during his coughing fit. Without even thinking about it, Castiel pushed his burger over to Dean, a slight smirk on his face.

“It is not of import.” He said, dismissively, staring at his knees.

“It _is_ of import.” Dean said firmly, waving his hands dramatically as he copied Castiel’s expressionless tone. “Cas, man, this is kind of a big deal. Why’d you even want to go on a date with me anyway?”

Castiel turned his blue eyes on Dean, his stare intense. “Let’s not play games, Dean. You know why.”

Dean put the burger down, sighing. “Yeah, I know why.” He wiped his hands on his jeans, conscious of all of the people around them. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Castiel held up one long, graceful finger.

“Excuse me for one moment.” 

Dean watched him briefly talk to their waitress before he returned to their seat. “What was that all about?” He asked, with absolutely no hint of jealousy. None at all.

“I asked her to box up your pie so we could leave. Our present location was making you uncomfortable. We can talk in the car. If you wish to wait outside, I will pay and bring the pie.”

Not for the first time, Dean was struck by how considerate Castiel was. He nodded and walked out to wait in the Impala. It wasn't that he thought the date was a bad idea. Or that he didn’t return Castiel’s feelings. It’s that they had both seemed comfortable with not mentioning them at all. Clearly, that hadn't been the case.

When Castiel returned, Dean offered him a genuine smile. “Thanks for dinner, Cas. You didn’t have to go through all that trouble, but I appreciate it anyway.”

Castiel smiled back at him, glad that the hunter had appreciated his efforts and not reacted as badly as he had expected.

“You’re welcome.” He said simply. “Dean, I…why are you not more upset?”

Dean shook his head. “Man, I’m not gonna lie. I was surprised. But Cas, I mean, you bought me an amazing burger. And pie. And beer. And you let me drive. This is the best date I've ever been on, and it’s with a guy. But the weirdest part of it is that it’s not weird. That an angel of the Lord took a job cleaning windows to take me on a date should be the weirdest thing ever. But it’s not. To me, that says all I need to know.”

Castiel nodded, understanding, feeling a warmth spread through him as he realised that Dean wasn't rejecting him. “So what happens now? Do you want to see a movie?”

Dean smiled “I’d like that. As long as you don’t drag me into some wimpy chick flick again. Man, I know you’re junkless, but you need some balls.”

“My vessel has testicles.” Castiel frowned. “Or is this another metaphor that I can’t understand?”

Dean smiled, reaching over and ruffling Castiel’s hair, affectionately. “Don’t ever change.” He said, starting the Impala and driving them away.


	5. Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during 5x18 Point Of No Return. Contains season 4 and 5 spoilers.

It didn’t take a genius to work out where Dean would go. He’d told Castiel himself, that they needed to stay away from Jehovah’s witnesses in order to avoid the angels. It seemed logical that Dean’s next step in order to attract the angels would be to grab the next Jehovah’s witness he could find. It would work too, Castiel knew the methods that the angels would adopt from experience.

It gave him the upper hand, if only he could catch Dean before he alerted Zachariah to his location.

Trying to focus on finding Dean, Castiel couldn’t help but feel stirrings of _something_ deep within him. He hadn’t felt anything for humans before he’d met the Winchester brothers. Things had changed the second he’d burned his handprint into Dean’s shoulders. For the first time, even knowing the first seal had been broken, he felt stirrings of hope.

The feelings had only intensified the longer he spent with Dean… with them. Watching Dean defy them again and again, always fighting for what was right, never once wavering… even Castiel began to question the orders he was given. He liked Dean, and even Sam, whose heart was in the right place. But he empathised particularly with Dean, and even developed a sort of friendship with him. After a short time, his superiors noticed and placed Uriel in charge. Castiel had been dismayed and ashamed of the demotion, but it only served to strengthen his belief that something was wrong in Heaven, that this wasn't right.

He realised the truth when he discovered that Uriel had dismantled the Enochian Devils Trap holding Alastair. When he’d confronted his brother, Uriel had said one thing that stuck in his mind.

“All you have to do is be unafraid.”

“For the first time in a long time, I am.” Castiel had replied, but it was nothing to do with bringing on the Apocalypse against God’s will, and everything to do with the faith and trust he had in Dean Winchester. When Anna had killed Uriel, Castiel had felt pain and regret for the loss of his brother, but renewed faith in right and wrong.

Knowing what he knew, that the angels were planning to allow the Apocalypse began to fall heavy on Castiel, until he could no longer keep it within him. He could imagine the look of betrayal and disgust that Dean would give him when he found out, and for some reason, that cut him deeper than the idea of rebelling, of disobedience.

His superiors found out, of course, and dragged him back to Heaven, leaving his vessel, Jimmy, for Sam and Dean to find. While Castiel wouldn’t say he’d been tortured, he was duly punished for the idea of betrayal and his faith in Heaven was renewed. He turned his back on Dean, even tricked him into agreeing to obey. It made him sick with guilt, but kept telling himself it was for the greater good.

And then of course, Dean found out. His expression was so much worse than Cas had imagined, if only to relieve some of his guilt the angel found himself returning to apologise.

The right hook didn’t hurt per se, although Castiel was absolutely positive it hurt Dean, the act itself caused Castiel to understand exactly how let down his friend was. He tried to explain how much better this would be, tell Dean of the peace that would accompany the death.

But when Dean explained that he’d take people as they were, the good with the bad, Cas realised that he couldn’t stand by and do nothing. This feeling was consolidated when Dean dismissed him with a finality that broke his heart.

So Castiel did the only thing that he could do to earn his trust back. He rebelled. He rebelled, knowing that he never wanted Dean to look at him like that again.

Since occupying this vessel, Castiel had experienced hope, guilt, affection and more recently love. He’d enjoyed the emotions, having lived without them for so long. But now he had an inkling of how Dean had felt when Castiel had tricked him into letting Sam break the final seal. The hurt, the betrayal threatened to overwhelm him.

“Our father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name.”

Castiel heard the start of the prayer and knew he’d struck gold.

“You pray too loud.” He growled, knocking out the Jehovah’s witness with one tap to the shoulder. Dean spun around, and Castiel felt his anger explode out of him, grabbing Dean and slamming him into the wall.

“What, are you crazy?” Dean spluttered.

“I rebelled for _this_?” He thundered, the powerful voice of an angel booming from out of the vessel. He punched Dean twice, allowing the flood of anger and betrayal to flow into his fists. “So that you could surrender to them?”

He carried on slamming Dean into the walls and punching him, letting the human feel exactly how hurt he was, exactly how let down.

“Cas, please.” Dean choked around a mouthful of blood, but any remnants of mercy Castiel had were blinded by his rage.

“I gave _everything_ for you, and this is what you give to me.” He punched Dean again and with a hefty kick, sent him flying back into the fence. He stalked over, his fist still clenched as he waited for Dean to get up, hoping that Dean would take a swing at him, that he would fight back. Instead, Dean spat out a mouthful of blood and looked at Castiel’s clenched fist, something unreadable on his expression.

“Do it.” Dean sneered. “Just do it!”

Castiel’s anger faded as he realised Dean was deliberately not fighting back. That he wanted Castiel to beat the hell out of him if it would make the angel feel better. That Dean didn’t care what happened to him. His fist uncurled slowly and he took pity on his friend and tapped him once, watching Dean slump to the floor, unconscious.

He straightened up and sighed, before kneeling down to scoop Dean up, supporting him with one arm.

“I gave everything for you.” He told the unconscious body. “Not for Sam, or humanity. Everything I did, it was for you.”

Filled with a human instinct he couldn’t repress, Castiel brushed his lips against Dean’s own bloody, motionless mouth. Shaking his head, he flew them out of the alley, back to Bobby’s. What Dean did now was his own business, but Castiel would be damned if he was going to put any more faith in him.


	6. Fights

“You stupid son of a bitch.” Dean growled through gritted teeth as he half-carried Castiel into the motel room. “I’m going to kill you myself, goddamnit.”

“I would prefer you didn’t blaspheme, Dean.” Castiel told him, gasping as Dean lowered him onto the bed. “Or kill me, if at all possible.”

Dean glared down at him. “Too bad, Cas. What the hell were you playing at?”

“I was not _playing_.” Castiel huffed, frowning. “I was saving your life.”

Dean growled as Sam entered the room, clutching the first aid kit. “Ignore him, Cas, he’s just pissed that you got to play the big hero.”

“I am not!” Dean snapped, angrily. “My life didn’t need saving until he zapped in and pissed off the damn thing. A chupacabra, Cas. I mean, what, do you have a death wish?”

Castiel refused Sam’s offer of first aid, his only sign of having heard Dean’s reprimand was his downcast expression. Sam spotted it first and turned to Dean disapprovingly. When Dean noticed, he bit back a groan.

“Look, man, you have _got_ to let up suffocating me when we’re hunting. I’m not incapable.” When his words only served to make Castiel more miserable, Dean sighed. “But I appreciate your help anyway, and you did distract the thing so we could gank it.”

Castiel’s face lit up as Dean thanked him gruffly. He sat up and winced. Concern slid over Dean’s expression and he took a half-step closer.

“You okay, man? You need anything?” He asked, awkwardly.

Castiel looked down at his dirty and bloody trenchcoat and wrinkled his nose in distaste. “No, thank you. The healing will be painful, but it will not take long.”

Dean nodded. “What about something that isn’t covered in a chupacabra’s guts? Or even better, how about you take a shower? No offence, but you do _not_ smell fresh.”

Castiel nodded, and got to his feet unsteadily. Dean moved forward and grabbed his wrist slightly, just until the angel regained his balance, then he gently pushed him in the direction of the bathroom.

“Go ahead, I’ll grab you something of mine to wear for now. Sam’s stuff might be too big for you.”

As Castiel disappeared into the bathroom, Dean dug through his duffel bag to find something that might fit the angel. It only took him a few seconds to find a pair of jeans and a black Led Zeppelin shirt. He dismissed the idea of loaning Castiel his underwear. That went above and beyond the call of duty. Besides, Castiel's underwear would probably still be clean.

“Sammy, you want to pick us up some food?” Dean asked. “I know Cas doesn’t exactly need to eat, but he likes burgers and it might help take his mind off the healing thing.”

Sam nodded. “Sure. Be back soon.” He swiped up the keys to the Impala and disappeared out of the door. Dean knocked on the bathroom door to ensure Cas was decent.

“Here.” He said when Castiel gave him the go ahead. “There’s a clean towel there for you and, uh, you might need to reuse your own underwear, but there’s a change of clothes too.”

Castiel smiled at him gratefully. “Thank you Dean.” He said, sincerely.

Dean nodded, awkwardly and left the room, lying on his bed and flicking on the TV to find a Dr Sexy M.D marathon showing.

“Alright.” He grinned, settling back to watch the show, not looking away from the screen until Castiel exited the bathroom. He glanced up and blinked.

“You suit my shirt.” He frowned. “Why do you always wear the same suit, anyway? Do you prefer Jimmy’s clothes?”

“Convenience.” Castiel told him, rubbing at the back of his head. He carried his blood-sodden clothes in his other hand. Dean hopped up to take them, shoving them in a spare duffel bag they used for dirty laundry, except the trenchcoat, which he hung over the back of one of the chairs. He glanced down and saw Castiel had neglected to put his shoes back on, and was instead walking around barefoot.

“Dude, there is something _weird_ about seeing an angel without socks on.” He shook his head. “Cas, man, take a seat. You’re making the place look even untidier.”

Castiel settled down on Sam’s bed awkwardly, staring at the TV screen with a look of utter distaste, but before he could open his mouth to protest, Sam returned, clutching a few paper bags. Dean grinned to himself as Castiel glanced at the food with interest, and then looked away. Sam threw one of the bags at Dean and the other to Castiel, who looked up in surprise and delight that Sam hadn't forgotten him.

“Eat up, chuckles. We know how much you love burgers.” Dean grinned.

Sam let out a bark of laughter. “Dude, you look strange in Dean’s clothes. I think I prefer you in the trenchcoat.” He paused, considering. “It’s kinda surreal. Dean, you should try on Castiel’s coat.”

Dean looked up and laughed. “It’s covered in chupacabra intestines, I think I’ll pass.”

Castiel, wearing an unreadable expression, waved his hand at the trenchcoat, which was suddenly clean and repaired. Dean raised an eyebrow.

“Alright.” He said, rubbing his hands together to remove traces of burger. He grabbed the coat and slid his arms inside. It was warmer than he thought it would be, even if it was slightly too small for him. There was a lingering smell to it, something distinctly Castiel, even though it had just been cleaned. He liked it.

“Nah, this is too nerd angel for me.” He laughed, shrugging it off. Sam disappeared into the bathroom, smirking, as Castiel stared at Dean as if he was seeing him for the first time.

“You do not suit my coat.” He said, nibbling delicately at his burger. “But I liked seeing it anyway.”

Dean cleared his throat, embarrassed. “Yeah, well, I like seeing you in my Led Zeppelin shirt.” He admitted, before grinning. “Come on, no chick flick moments. Let me watch Dr Sexy in peace, huh?”

He turned to the television, chuckling at the look of disgust that appeared on Castiel’s face.


	7. Vampires

“A movie?” Castiel repeated.

“Yep.” Dean nodded. “What do you say? Do you want to come with me?”

Castiel considered the offer. “Is this a date?”

Dean sighed, wondering why they had this issue every time he asked Cas to do something. “Yes, Cas, of course it’s a date. Are you coming or not?”

Castiel nodded. “Yes, I think so. It would be detrimental to the idea of a date if I were not to come with you.”

Dean grinned. “Oh, I don’t know, I could always find someone else to take.”

His words had the desired effect and Castiel’s eyes sparked dangerously, possession and jealousy radiating from his every pore. He and Dean had only officially been together a short time, but emotionally, it was a lot longer than that. Dean had eventually managed to admit his feelings for the angel, and Cas would suffer Hell before he let Dean take someone else on a date.

“Dude, relax. He was just kidding.” Sam spoke up without looking up from his laptop. “Dean wouldn’t even think about taking someone else on a date, Cas. Isn’t that right, Dean?”

Dean nodded once. “Of course I wouldn’t.” He said gruffly. “Come on, or all the good seats will be taken.”

At the movie theatre, Castiel stood around awkwardly, looking confused. This was his first experience of going to the movies, and he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. Dean smiled at him and squeezed his shoulder affectionately.

“What do you want to see?” He asked, kindly.

Castiel looked horrified at the thought of having to make a choice. He shook his head quickly.

“Whatever you want to see is fine, Dean. I have no preference.”

Dean grinned and nodded. “That scary movie with the vampires looks good. I’ll get us tickets for that. Do you think you can handle getting the snacks, or do you want to wait till I get back?”

Castiel looked affronted. “I’m sure I can manage, thank you, Dean.” He stomped off to the popcorn line, and Dean chuckled, before heading off to get their tickets. When he returned, Castiel was holding a bucket of popcorn and two sodas, and had a paper bag hanging from his wrist.

“What’s in the bag, Cas?” Dean asked, trying to sneak a peek. Castiel moved the bag out of the hunter’s reach.

“It’s a surprise.” Castiel told him, firmly. Rolling his eyes, Dean gestured for them to move, taking the sodas so that Castiel could manage.

They found their seats easily, and they were fairly good ones, Dean noted with surprise. He supposed the movie had been out for a few weeks, there probably weren’t many people who wanted to see it still. Oh well, it left more room for them.

When the film started, there were only around fifteen people in the whole screen. Castiel was amazed by the size of the screen, and the echo of the sound around the room. Really, human technology was far more advanced than the other angels gave them credit for.

The movie was fairly good, Castiel considered. Not scary at all, although the other humans seemed to think so, jumping at loud sounds and sudden movements that Castiel thought were predictable and obvious. Although it was clear that the director of the movie had failed to do extensive research, which became obvious when one of the vampires was killed by a stake to the heart.

“But Dean, wooden stakes do not work on vampires, nor does silver. Only beheading…”

“ _Shhhh_.” Dean hissed, as people looked in their direction disapprovingly. Castiel looked hurt. Dean sighed and reached for the angel’s hand, squeezing it affectionately.

“I know it doesn't work, Cas, but it’s a common misconception. Just go with it.”

Castiel nodded, and smiled. He reached for the paper bag he’d acquired earlier, and handed it to Dean. The hunter peeked inside, curiously.

“Dude, you’re _awesome_.” He breathed, pulling out the polystyrene box and plastic fork. He could practically smell the pie within.

Castiel smiled, shyly, and gestured for Dean to eat his pie. Dean did so, tucking in with gusto, and repressing a moan. Apple. His favourite.

He was just about to take the last bite when a monstrous roar on screen made him jump in fright. He dropped the box of pie, and looked at the mess, sadly. He couldn’t help but chuckle silently. It had been a while since a movie had made him jump like that. Turning to Cas to see if the angel had gotten as much of a fright as he had, he realised the angel was no longer there.

Dean frowned, a little pissed that Castiel had just zapped out in the middle of their date. Annoyed, he turned back to the screen to continue watching the movie, and blinked twice. He couldn’t actually believe what he was seeing. There, inside the movie, in the process of beheading the head vampire, was Castiel.

“How dare you scare Dean!” Castiel hissed, one clean stroke of his angel blade removing the vampire’s head from his shoulders.

Dean blinked again, and then began to laugh. Uncaring of the rest of the audience, or what they thought of him, he just laughed until tears slid down his face. The credits began to roll, and Dean got to his feet, still chuckling, heading out of the screen. He waited outside for Castiel to re-join him, leaning against the Impala.

When Castiel appeared in front of him, Dean didn’t even jump. He grinned at the sheepish-looking angel, who obviously realised what he’d done, and clapped Cas on the shoulder.

“Cas, man, you’re an awesome date.” Dean told him, unable to stop grinning.

Castiel smiled, embarrassed but pleased, and when Dean tugged him in for a kiss, the angel accepted obligingly, reflecting that maybe his lack of knowledge of all things human could work out in his favour.


	8. Request

"We need to go shopping." Dean told Castiel. "Get you some new clothes."

Castiel looked down, frowning. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

He was wearing his usual ensemble, white dress shirt, a black suit and trousers, backwards blue tie and tan trenchcoat. It was what Jimmy had been wearing the day Castiel took over his body. It was what he'd always worn.

"Dude, nothing's wrong with them, it's just… you're cut off from the halo patrol, right? You can't afford to waste your mojo on repairing or cleaning your clothes. And people tend to get a little shifty when the person interviewing them is wearing a trenchcoat riddled with bullet holes." Dean pointed out.

Castiel shifted, uncomfortably. "Shopping makes me uncomfortable, Dean. I would prefer not to."

"Then your other option is to stay here when we go hunting." Dean said firmly. "If you start asking question covered in blood, you're gonna attract the wrong kind of attention. I mean it, Cas, you can get some clothes, or you can stay here. And don't think I won't angel proof the room so you can't follow us."

The angel turned to Dean, unleashing the full force of his fury in one single, menacing glare. To his credit, Dean flinched, but stood firm. Castiel turned to Sam, pleadingly, who shrugged.

"Dude, he has a point."

Castiel gritted his teeth and turned back to Dean, angrily.

"Fine. If you insist. Let's get this over with." He stomped out of the motel room, his trenchcoat swooping behind him. Dean shook his head, grinning as he snatched up his keys. Angel of the Lord, one of Heaven's weapons, was pitching a fit because he had to go shopping. Sometimes, Dean was glad that out of all the angels to lay siege to Hell on his behalf, it had been Castiel that pulled him out. What had once been a tentative alliance formed by duty and impending doom, had led Dean to the most important person in his life, outside of Sam. He couldn't imagine how he would have gotten through the last year or so without Castiel with them.

The ride was silent, as Castiel stared out of the window, choosing to ignore Dean, who sighed. He knew Castiel was just annoyed that Dean's request had been logical. Still, it didn't make him feel any better that the angel was perturbed. He hadn't done it to make Castiel mad at him. The angel needed to have more clothes if he was going to be a regular part of their investigations, and Dean wanted Castiel there. Not just as back-up, or because he was useful, but because he was family. And without the use of his angel mojo, they were currently the only family Castiel had.

Dean knew he was in the right. But it still didn't make him feel good about forcing Castiel to do something he wasn't comfortable with. He reached over and turned the radio on to break the silence reverberating around the car. To his delight, he found that the radio station was playing Stairway to Heaven. He turned the volume up slightly, and began humming along quietly. Getting lost in the song, it wasn't too long before the humming turned to singing and soon he was drumming on the steering wheel, oblivious to everything around him.

When they got to the guitar solo, Dean remembered exactly where he was, and turned to find Castiel staring at him, a small smile on his face.

"You like this song." He stated, simply.

Dean blinked. "Dude, of course. It's Led Zeppelin. It's a classic. Who doesn't know Stairway to Heaven?"

He hummed along with the rest of the solo, fully aware of Castiel's eyes on him as he kept his eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead.

"And she's buying the stairway to heaven." Dean sang the last line, his eyes widening as he realised that his voice was not the only one singing. He turned to Castiel, gaping.

The angel grinned, shyly. "I also like this song."

"You've been holding out on me, Cas." Dean raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you knew Zeppelin?"

Castiel shrugged. "I am an angel, Dean. I may not be completely aware of human mannerisms and necessities, but I have been around for a very long time. Besides, as you say, who doesn't know Stairway to Heaven?"

Dean was still grinning as they pulled up outside the store. "Come on, this should do us."

It appeared Castiel was in a better mood, because he slid out of the car without another complaint, and he entered the store beside Dean. Inside, their momentary truce with the necessity of shopping flew straight out of the window.

"What about this, Dean?" Castiel picked up a plaid shirt, awkwardly.

Dean snickered. "Dude, you're becoming more like us every day. Pick something _you_ like."

"I like Jimmy's clothes." Castiel pointed out.

Dean wasn't swayed. "Okay, so let's find you more shirts like that." He led them over to the formal section. Castiel began picking up shirts, awkwardly.

"This one looks remarkable large, Dean." He commented.

Dean sighed. "There are different sizes, Cas. What size shirt do you wear?"

"I don't know." Castiel replied, nonplussed. "How do I find out?"

Resigned to a stressful shopping trip, Dean lifted Castiel's trenchcoat, and started untucking his shirt from his trousers. Castiel flinched in surprise as Dean's fingers brushed against bare skin as he lifted the shirt to check the tag. Dean coloured as he felt the warmth of Castiel's skin under his hands, the slender waist with protruding hip bones.

"Okay, uh, this should fit you." He picked up one of the shirts Castiel had looked at. "Just find more in that size and you're good to go."

He retreated hastily, allowing for a few feet between them. Castiel felt the loss of Dean's warmth acutely, suddenly missing the hunter's closeness. His face fell and he began picking up shirts quickly, desperate to get this over with, so he could zap himself away from Dean, who was sure to spend the rest of the night making things awkward.

His misery didn't go unnoticed by Dean, who felt extremely guilty. It wasn't a slight against Castiel; it was just their proximity brought feelings to the surface that he wasn't ready to admit just yet. But watching the angel pick out some trousers, his shoulders slumped and wearing a dejected expression, Dean realised that his own fears weren't important at that moment in time.

He moved forward swiftly, taking the shirt from Castiel's hand, allowing their fingers to brush together.

"That shirt is awful, Cas." He twisted his face at the awful striped shirt he was holding.

"I want it." Castiel said stubbornly.

Dean gaped at him. "You gotta be kidding me? Cas, that shirt is hideous!"

Castiel folded his arms and glared at him. Dean didn't give in, staring at the angel in disbelief. Who knew an angel of the Lord would have such terrible taste in clothing?

Dean's mind raced for a way to diffuse the situation that didn't involve letting Castiel buy the shirt, but he came up with nothing. He could always burn it when Castiel zapped out, but that would involve admitting defeat now, and he wouldn't allow that to happen.

"You should let him have it." A pretty brunette walked past, eyeing Castiel. Dean opened his mouth to tell her to mind her own business, when she continued. "He wants to buy the shirt, so let him."

"Thank you." Castiel smiled at her, shooting Dean a triumphant look.

The brunette smirked, eyeing Castiel hungrily. She stepped forward and ran her fingers down his chest suggestively. "Want to ditch your keeper? I'll show you a good time, handsome."

Castiel's eyes widened and Dean lost his temper. "No, he doesn't and no you won't. Get the hell out of here, sweetheart, and leave us alone."

She turned to glare at him, her disdain evident. "I wasn't talking to you, sweetheart. I'm sure pretty boy here can make up his own mind."

Turning back to Castiel, Dean was disappointed he couldn't see her expression as Castiel turned the full force of his angelic fury on her, glaring angrily. The brunette took a step back, her shoulders rigid with fear.

"Dean is my friend. You shouldn't talk to him like that." Castiel told her, darkly. "Now, Dean, if you don't mind, I'd like to get out of here."

Dean could only nod, dumbly, as Castiel grabbed his wrist, yanking him out of sight behind a rack of shirts before they were suddenly standing in Bobby's house.

"My car…" He started, uncertainly, but Castiel gestured out of the window. Unable to resist checking, Dean breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the Impala parked in her usual spot. At least Castiel hadn't forgotten Baby when he zapped them home.

He shook his head, chuckling as he sat on Castiel's bed. "You do realise we've got to do this all again now you've zapped us home?"

Castiel looked at him, his eyes widened in horror. "No." He said firmly, waving a hand behind him. He opened the closet to show Dean the dozen outfits within, each one identical to what he always wore. Dean moved closer, running his hand down the shirt sleeves as he shook his head, letting out a sigh.

He moved to close the closet door when a thought struck him. Yanking it back open, he scanned the clothes quickly.

"No trench coats?" He asked, frowning.

Castiel shook his head, suddenly embarrassed. "No, I… thought it inappropriate. I will repair this coat as long as I can, but I will not replace it. It has sentimental value."

Dean nodded. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Yeah, it does. It wouldn't be right, having more than one."

He reached over and smoothed down the collars, feeling the soft fabric of the coat that was so much a part of Castiel it was like a second skin.

"Yeah, so I'm going to get started on dinner. Maybe burgers. You, uh, want anything?" Dean coughed, backing away swiftly.

Castiel tilted his head, considering. "Yes, thank you. I have discovered a fondness for hamburgers."

Dean nodded. "Okay. I'll be downstairs." He turned to flee.

"Dean." Castiel's voice stopped him. "Promise me we never have to do that again?"

He sounded so scared and unhappy and Dean couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. Remembering the vulture-like brunette who had tried to come on to Castiel, he had absolutely no doubts as he turned to the angel.

"I promise, Cas."


	9. Family

Dean's stomach growled loudly; loud enough to be heard over the Led Zeppelin tape he was blasting as they drove down the freeway. Sam shot him an amused look, which Dean ignored.

"I'll pull over when we get to the next diner." Dean decided, before pausing. "Think we should invite Cas?"

Sam looked out his window, stifling a grin. Dean thought he was being discreet, but Sam knew better. Something had changed between Dean and Castiel, although the younger Winchester wasn't sure exactly how much things had changed between them. Castiel had been hanging around a lot more and Dean had begun inviting him to eat with them when they stopped for food, or to watch TV on an evening. Castiel always zapped out when Dean went to bed, but Sam would be willing to bet he reappeared in Dean's room not long afterwards.

Sam wasn't stupid. He'd seen the soft looks they'd exchanged, saw the adoration in Castiel's eyes as he gazed at Dean, and how over time, Dean had started to return the look. Sam watched as Dean began to trust someone outside of his family, found something in Castiel that neither of them had ever expected. Sam supposed pulling someone out of hell on your first meeting tended to make for a strong relationship.

"Sammy?" Dean glanced over at him. "Are you listening? I was asking if we should invite Cas to eat with us."

"Fine with me." He shrugged in response, offering a small smile. "It's nice to have him around, he's good company."

Dean's face lit up at Sam's approval and it only brightened when he spotted a sign which showed there was a diner at the next exit. He grinned and pulled up outside the diner. They sat down in a booth that was slightly closed off from the rest of the diner and Dean ordered two bacon cheeseburgers. Sam ordered a salad, and when the waitress disappeared, Dean cleared his throat, eagerly.

"Now I sit me down to eat, I pray to Cas to get his feathery ass down here if he wants a burger?" He chuckled as Castiel immediately appeared in the booth next to him, looking hopeful.

"Hello Dean, Sam." He greeted as he glanced around the diner. "Did you mention a burger?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, Cas, Dean ordered you a bacon cheeseburger."

He noticed Dean's face soften the instant Castiel offered him an adoring smile, clearly happy with Dean's choice.

"Where are you headed?" Castiel asked them, stealing a sip of Dean's water. Dean just watched him, fondly, not evening attempting to berate the angel. "Bobby's?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, there's no case at the minute, so we were going to see if Bobby had anything. If not, we'll probably stick around for a while; maybe take a few days off from hunting." He hesitated, then took the plunge. "You know, you could stick around with us. I know you've probably got better things to do, and we'd have to clear it with Bobby anyway, but you know you're always welcome, right, Cas?"

He kept his eyes fixed firmly on his burger as he spoke, as if he couldn't bear to watch Castiel's expression. A light touch on his wrist made him look up and Castiel's face took his breath away. He was beaming, his face so bright that it almost hurt to look at it, yet also impossible to look away from. The angel's blue eyes shone with unconcealed love, only for Dean. It made Dean's chest clench painfully.

Dean offered Castiel a genuine smile, before clearing his throat and nodding at Sam. "Sam wants you around too, Cas. He said earlier that it's nice when you're around and that you're good company."

Castiel turned a happy smile towards Sam, but it wasn't as unrestrained as the one he'd given Dean. Sam didn't mind, knowing more than they seemed to think he did.

"May I ride with you?" Castiel asked, hopefully. "If it's not an inconvenience."

Sam shook his head quickly. "You can even ride shotgun, Cas. I'm going to catch a nap in the back seat." He smiled as Castiel looked delighted at the prospect.

The ride to Bobby's was short, as their stop for food in Austin, Minneapolis left them less than three hours away from Sioux Falls. When they pulled up at the junkyard, Bobby was waiting for them. He pulled them all into a brief hug, including Castiel, who just managed to return the gesture, taken completely by surprise.

Dean explained the situation quickly, that there'd been no fresh cases and they were hoping Bobby would have something, or if not, if they could stick around until something cropped up.

Bobby took a swig of his beer, thoughtfully. "Cases have been slow recently." He admitted. "There aint been much in the way of anythin' strange. You stickin' around too, angel?" He asked, gruffly.

Castiel's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Bobby to invite him without any sort of hint from Dean. He nodded. Bobby's eyes crinkled as he offered Castiel a beer, which he hesitantly accepted. They settled down for a game of blackjack, Dean promising to teach Castiel the rules as they went along. He picked it up fairly quickly, even winning a few hands.

They took a few minutes break when their beer ran out, and Dean went to get them a few more. He settled down, handing them out, letting his fingers brush against Castiel's as the angel took the proffered beer. He watched in delight as Castiel blushed, faintly.

"To a few days without anythin' tryin' to kill you three idjits." Bobby chuckled, raising his beer in a toast.

Dean cleared his throat. "Uh, to friends and family." He raised his beer, smiling around the table at everyone.

"Friends and family." Sam and Bobby echoed, before taking a swig of their beer. Castiel murmured it softly, before taking a small sip.

"I've never had friends before." He mused thoughtfully, his tone soft. "I have a family, but it doesn't mean the same thing as it does to you. It's nice to have people to love."

His words took the others aback for a few moments, but when they recovered, they all took turns pulling Castiel into a hug and awkwardly patting him on the back. The angel went along with it, but he didn't understand why everyone was making so much fuss about his words. He voiced this to Dean quietly when Dean pulled him in for a hug.

Dean smiled, his lips turning up as he pulled back to meet Castiel's gaze. "Because we love you too, Cas."


	10. Paris

“I’m not kidding, Dean. That vampire nest was the last straw. I want a break. I want to go on vacation somewhere in Europe, somewhere that nobody wants to take a bite out of my neck.” Sam ranted, running a hand through his hair in frustration.”

Dean frowned. “Calm down, Sammy, I get it. You want a break from hunting, that’s cool. I just don’t see the sense in going off on your own somewhere. What if you get into trouble?”

A flutter of wings alerted him to an arrival. Turning with a grin, expecting to see Castiel, his grin faded as he realised Castiel wasn’t alone.

“Gabriel. What the hell do you want?” Dean muttered gruffly, going to get another beer. He didn’t mind the archangel really, but it was ingrained in them to naturally dislike each other.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Deano. I’m here for Sam. We have a vacation planned, we’re going to Venezia!” Gabriel announced, sucking on a lollipop.

Dean wheeled around. “You’re going on vacation with Gabriel?” He asked, in sheer disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”

Castiel stepped forward, placing his hand on Dean’s shoulder gently. “Dean. You were just complaining that it wasn’t wise for Sam to go alone. Who better to protect him than an archangel?”

“Me.” Dean muttered, sullenly. “I’m his brother. Fine, get out of here. Enjoy your vacation.” He directed at Sam, without even looking at him.

Sam seemed to realise that his desire for a break had hurt his brother’s feelings. He stepped forward. “Dean…”

“Just go, Sam.” Dean snapped. When he heard the familiar flutter of wings, he turned back to see both Sam and Gabriel had gone. Castiel, however, was still present, his hand on Dean’s shoulder.

“Well? Where do you wish to go?” Castiel asked, smiling.

Dean stared at him. “What are you talking about? Are you taking me on vacation too? Dude, I’m not jealous that Sam was going on vacation, I’m worried that I won’t be there to protect him.”

Castiel let his hand fall to his side. “You do not wish to go?” He asked, hurt. “When Sam first mentioned the idea, Gabriel and I thought it would be good to give you both some time to relax. Sam told me that this would give you and I some time alone, but if you wish to stay here alone, I will leave.”

Dean’s hand snapped out instantly, closing around Castiel’s wrist. “Paris.” He said instantly, not sure where the idea came from. He’d never really thought about going to Paris before, but he knew that if this would make Castiel happy, he’d go along with it. “I want to go to Paris.” He added firmly.

“Paris.” Castiel repeated, reaching his hand out towards Dean’s head. Steeling himself for not being able to use the bathroom for at least a week, Dean closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were in the middle of a busy street.

“That wasn’t exactly inconspicuous.” Dean pointed out. “But it doesn't seem like anyone saw us.”

Castiel inclined his head. “Where do you wish to go first?” He asked.

Dean considered the question. “Uh, most of the places I want to see aren't good until it gets dark. What about you? I know you’ve probably seen it all before, but is there anything you want to see?”

“I have never seen the Mona Lisa.” Castiel admitted. “I admit to some curiosity about it, if you have no objections?”

“Sure.” Dean shrugged, but ducked out of the way when Castiel’s hand reached for his head. “Dude, no. We’re taking the subway.”

Castiel didn’t like the Paris Métro, finding it extremely cramped and confining. Dean was forced to hold his hand in an attempt to reassure the angel that they wouldn't get separated. Feeling uncharacteristically kind, Dean decided not to point out that even if they were separated, he could just pray to Castiel with his location.

Dean paid for their tickets and they entered the Louvre. “Shall we go and see the Mona Lisa first? And then we can make our way round?” Dean suggested.

Castiel agreed, and they made their way to the Grand Gallery, following the signs. When they entered the long hallway, Castiel paused by a large, arch-shaped painting, tilting his head.

“I have seen this one before. Virgin of the Rocks. This was also painted by Leonardo Da Vinci.” He glanced at it approvingly. “Not entirely accurate, but beautiful work nonetheless.”

Dean looked at it, recognising that it was pretty awesome. “Da Vinci must have been some painter.”

“Leonardo.” Castiel corrected, idly. “Da Vinci is just the place he was from. Humans do not actually know his surname, but in actuality, it was…”

Dean pulled him to one side before he could complete his sentence, noticing that a few people were paying their conversation far too much attention. “Dude.” He hissed. “Cas, you gotta keep it down. If you’re in public, you can’t refer to humans as if you’re not one. Or talk about things that we don’t know.” He chastised the angel.

Guiltily, Castiel nodded. “I understand.”

Nodding, Dean smiled at him, relaxing. “Come on. Let’s go and see this painting then. You can tell me everything you know about it, that humans already know about it.” He grinned, taking Castiel’s hand as they headed towards the room that contained the Mona Lisa. It was easy enough to spot, as there was a crowd of people in front of it. Dean and Castiel slowly weaved their way through the crowd, until they were blocked by the ropes.

“It’s smaller than I thought it would be.” Dean commented. “But I can see the appeal. Why is she smiling?”

Castiel opened his mouth, then paused. “That is not known.” He replied, awkwardly. Dean resisted the urge to grin, knowing Castiel truly knew the reason why.

“Fair enough.”

They looked at the painting for a few moments, before stepping aside to let the other tourists get a better look. Dean and Castiel slowly made their way around the rest of the museum, Dean watching with unbridled affection as Castiel ran his eyes reverently over some of the more famous pieces, like the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.

“Maybe this holiday wasn’t such a bad idea.” Dean commented, as they left the Louvre.

Castiel smiled at Dean sheepishly. “You do not mind that we spent so long in there? I am aware museums are not your idea of fun.” He blushed.

Dean leaned forward to kiss him softly. “No, I don’t mind. You can take me on vacation anytime, Cas.”

The look of sheer adoration on Castiel’s face made Dean smile and tug his arm, leading him down the street. “Come on, I’m starving. Let’s go find some burgers.”


	11. Admission

Dean was in a bar, of course. Where else would he be, after he and Castiel had argued so fiercely? He’d thought Castiel had understood; that he’d accepted the fact that Dean would never be able to say those three words to him. It wasn’t that he _didn’t_ feel that way; it was that he could never admit it. Saying it aloud made it real. And real things could be torn away.

Apparently Castiel had understood less than Dean had thought. He’d been patient in the hopes that Dean would realise that he wasn’t going anywhere, would eventually face up to his feelings, he’d told him earlier, but it was clear that Dean was never going to grow up.

Dean, in turn, had lashed out and told Castiel he’d never said it to anyone, never said those words to Cassie, or Lisa, and what the hell made him any different? His expression closed off and Castiel had disappeared without another word, leaving Dean feeling like absolute shit for saying something he hadn’t even meant. Of course Castiel was different. He meant as much to Dean as Sam did.

So he sat in the bar, nursing his sixth whisky, swirling it around in the glass before throwing it back. Checking his watch, he figured he had around thirty minutes before Sam came looking for him. Enough time to get a few beers in him too. He was already a little drunk, but not too bad, so he waved a twenty at the barmaid. “Two whisky’s and a beer.”

She looked at Dean, judging how many he’d had. “I’m not drunk enough yet.” He muttered. “Not by half.” With a nod, she fetched the drinks, setting them down in front of him and taking the twenty dollar bill. In quick succession, Dean downed the whisky and took a mouthful of beer. The door opened, letting a chilly breeze blow through the bar, and the light, pleasant atmosphere of the bar changed to tense.

Dean turned around and blanched when he saw Castiel staring at him, his expression one of sheer disapproval.

“Mind your own business.” He muttered sullenly. “If I want to get drunk, I’ll damn well do so. You’re not my mother. You’re not my anything.”

Castiel cast a dark look at Dean. “Then it appears I am wasting my time here. Goodbye, Dean.”

“Wait!” Dean got to his feet, lurching after Castiel before he could leave, abandoning his beer. “I didn’t mean that. You are something. You’re my everything. Except for Sammy.” It appears he was more drunk than he’d realised.

Castiel’s expression softened. “We’ll talk about it at home. Come on.” He tugged at Dean’s arm.

Dean followed him obediently, tripping over his own feet. With an exaggerated sigh, Castiel wrapped his arm around Dean’s waist, supporting him until they left the bar. Outside, the bitter cold did little to sober Dean up, and it was a testament to how much he’d actually drank that he didn’t flinch when Castiel reached out, touching his forehead lightly.

“I’m sorry I’m such a dick, Cas.” Dean mumbled, as Castiel pulled his shirt over his head, undressing Dean quickly.

“Forget about it for now, Dean.” Castiel told him quietly, unbuckling Dean’s belt and tugging down his pants. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Dean lost his balance, falling backwards onto the bed. He kicked off his boots and jeans impatiently, before tearing off his socks and sliding under the covers. “I didn’t mean what I said. Of course you’re different. You’re _Cas_.”

He said it was like Castiel was something to be revered, something so inherently special, that it brought a lump to Castiel’s throat.

“Sleep now, Dean.” He instructed, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Dean’s head. Snuggling into the pillows, Dean paused.

“Cas? I love you. And ‘m sorry I can’t say it sober.” He told Castiel distantly, before drifting off to sleep, leaving Castiel standing in the middle of Dean’s room, stunned at what he’d just heard.

The next morning, Dean woke up with the hangover from hell. Groaning, he turned to check the time and noticed a glass of water and some painkillers beside his bed, and he swallowed them gratefully, chugging down the water. Sometimes, Castiel could be so thoughtful. Dean really didn’t deserve him. The memories of last night came flooding back to him, and he remembered what he’d said as he was drifting off to sleep.

Quickly, he dived out of bed, throwing on his jeans and making his way through the bunker, looking for Castiel. He found him in the kitchen, standing at the stove, the smell of bacon permeating the air.

“Morning.” Dean mumbled quietly.

Castiel turned around, smiling. “Good morning, Dean.” He shoved a plate under Dean’s nose. “I made breakfast.”

Dean glanced down at the plate of eggs and bacon and smiled up at Castiel softly. “Thank you.” He told his lover. “Listen, Cas, about what I said last night…”

“I know, Dean.” Castiel told him quietly, his smile unchanging. “You said it, even if you were drunk, and that’s good enough for me. I just wanted to hear it, and now I know.”

“I love you.” Dean told him, casually, laughing when Castiel dropped the spatula. He shrugged, when the angel stared at him in amazement. “I guess it got easier to say it after the first time. You still haven’t said it back, you know.” He added, with a pout.

Castiel beamed, his eyes shining with happiness as he leaned down to kiss Dean softly, wrapping his arms around his neck tightly.

“I love you.” Castiel told him, softly, stroking Dean’s jaw.

Dean grinned at him. “You’d better. Now, sit down and let me eat my breakfast.”

It was just three short words, and Dean couldn’t understand how it had taken him so long to say them. The danger was there whether he said them aloud or not. And, well, he’d say them more often now. Anything to see that look on Castiel’s face as often as possible.


	12. Comparisons

Kissing Castiel was always a new experience for Dean.

It was so unlike any previous make out sessions he’d had. Everything about it was completely different, so completely not what he was used to, for a variety of reasons. The first being that he’d never been in love with someone before. Another being that Castiel was, for all intents and purposes, and multidimensional wave of celestial intent. The third was probably the one Dean struggled with the most. Castiel was a dude.

Or at least in another dude’s body. Jimmy Novak was male, and Dean was fairly sure that if Castiel had taken a female vessel, he wouldn’t find it half as awkward to kiss him. But there were just so many differences between kissing Castiel to kissing a woman.

For a start, the build-up was different. Dean no longer had to go out to a bar, or hit on random women passing by if he wanted to have a little fun. He didn’t do any of that crap anymore, he had Cas now. No matter what they were doing, whether Dean and Sam were off hunting, and Castiel was doing his heavenly duties, every night, the angel would return to Dean, and they would talk, or watch movies, or make out. Dean never strayed from Castiel, never even thought about seeking out someone else.

When it came to it, it was usually Castiel that initiated it. Dean had found it a big step to adjust to at first, so it was always Castiel that sought Dean’s kiss, his touch. Over time, Dean had accepted that he could just tug the angel into an embrace whenever he wanted, but he preferred to let Castiel start things. It made a change, and he liked it when the angel took charge for a while. Not that it ever ended up that way, of course, but it was good to let him have some control, for a while.

Like now. Castiel appeared suddenly in the motel room. Sam was out doing research, probably at the library, and wouldn’t be back for a while. So like clockwork, Castiel had stopped by. “Hello, Dean.” He greeted quietly, as always.

Dean’s face lit up, and he patted the bed for Castiel to come and sit next to him. “Hey, Cas.” He smiled as the angel shed his trenchcoat, hanging it over the back of the chair and moving to sit next to Dean, leaning in to kiss him softly. Dean smiled and leaned into the kiss eagerly, brushing his lips against Castiel’s lightly, sighing happily at the contact.

Castiel pulled back for a moment, offering Dean a shy grin before he was leaning forward again, capturing Dean’s lips with purpose. Dean grinned into the kiss, his hands coming up to cup the back of Castiel’s head, his fingers entwining in the dark locks as he moved his lips in sync against Castiel’s. This was where it started to get really different. Dean was used to fingers running through long curls, sleek feminine hair. Now his fingers were lost in Castiel’s short raven strands, gripping a little rougher than he would have if Cas was a woman. It just made it all the more exciting to him, that he didn’t have to be gentle.

Castiel’s lips were chapped, and yet surprisingly soft as they moved against Dean’s. Yet again, something completely different. Where Dean expected slick lipgloss with artificial flavours, or lipstick to smear all over his lips, Castiel’s mouth was natural, his lips smooth and tasting only of himself, something Dean could never get enough of.

It took him way out of his comfort zone, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Like when Castiel’s lips parted and his tongue snaked into Dean’s mouth, deepening the kiss, there was stubble scratching his cheek, the corners of his mouth, his jawline. The body pressed against his and pushing him further down onto the bed was decidedly male, an absence of breasts pushing against him, and instead a distinct large bulge that was impossible to ignore.

“You’re thinking too much.” Castiel muttered against his lips, pulling away to kiss along Dean’s jaw and down his neck. “Stop it.”

And as Castiel’s hands tugged at the hem of Dean’s shirt impatiently, Dean decided what the hell, rolling them over and pushing all thoughts out of his head, except that he needed to kiss Castiel breathless, which he then proceeded to do.


	13. Sampling

Dean looked up at the unexpected sound of wings. “Hey Cas.” He greeted easily, before turning back to take another huge spoonful of pie, scooping up some ice cream with it. Castiel gave his usual simple greeting.

“Hello, Dean.” His eyes fell on the pie, which was nothing new at all, because when was Dean’s preference for pie ever secret. But the ice cream was new, most of the time when Dean was shovelling down apple pie, it was on its own. Today, the pie was warm and covered in a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. “What is _that_?”

Dean frowned and looked from the pie to Castiel and back to the pie again. “Pie ‘n ice cream?” He trying to explain around his mouthful of dessert. “Wha’ does it look like?”

Castiel wrinkled his nose and leaned a little closer to have a look. “You don’t usually have ice cream with your pie, Dean. It was merely an observation. Why the sudden change?”

His forehead wrinkling slightly, Dean looked at the pie. “What’s with all the sudden interest in my food?” Dean muttered, pulling the plate closer to himself as if he was afraid Castiel was going to attempt to take it away from him. “I don’t get a chance to have pie with ice cream often, because we don’t have anywhere to freeze the ice cream when we stay in cheap motels. But I figured now we have the Batcave, it’s all good.”

Eyeing the ice cream again with a little more curiosity, Castiel nodded. “I see. Does it enhance the flavour of the pie in any way?” He took a seat next to Dean at the table.

Dean eyed him suspiciously, settling his arm between Castiel and his pie just in case. “It just tastes like ice cream, it makes it less dry and more sweet. You know what ice cream is like, Cas.”

“I have never consumed ice cream, so I do not, Dean.” Came the solemn reply, as Castiel folded his hands neatly in front of him. “Perhaps I should give it a try in the future, if you deem it worthy to accompany your pie, then it must be good.”

If he didn’t have a mouth full of pie, Dean’s jaw would have dropped at that realisation that Castiel had never had ice cream. But then, why was he so surprised, of course he wouldn’t have, when would a goddamn angel-of-the-lord have had the chance to go around sampling dessert? “Dude.” He said, disapprovingly, once he’d swallowed his ice cream. “We have _got_ to pick you up some ice cream. There’s so many different flavours you can try, basic flavours like strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, and then other amazing flavours like cookie dough and rum and raisin, and caramel…”

Castiel tilted his head with a mildly intrigued expression on his face, and he nodded. “Yes, this sounds agreeable. I will procure some ice cream immediately.”

Before Dean could open his mouth to query what flavour Castiel was intending to try first, or even to offer him some of the vanilla in the freezer, every available surface in the kitchen was covered in tubs and cartons of ice cream. Dean blinked down at the tub of Phish Food currently sitting on top of what had been his half-finished pie, and then looked back up to Castiel. “Overkill, much? Dude, there’s such a thing as too much of a good thing. You’ve got time to try all of the flavours.”

Castiel opened his mouth to reply, but a muffled shout from further inside the bunker implied that it was more than the kitchen that was covered in ice cream. Sure enough, Sam entered the kitchen moments later with a severely unimpressed look on his face as he swiped tubs of ice cream aside in order to walk. “What the hell?”

“I wanted to try ice cream.” Castiel said simply. “Dean told me of the many flavours, and I decided I was intrigued, so I got them all.”

Running a hand through his hair in frustration, Sam just looked at Dean. “I’m not cleaning this up. And any of this melts _anywhere_ , I’m kicking you both out of the bunker.” He stomped out, moodily.

Castiel watched him leave nonchalantly, before turning to Dean with a playful smile, holding out two spoons and reaching for a tub of butter pecan. “Are you going to help me or not?”

Dean didn’t need to be asked twice.


	14. Dinner

Everything was all ready and set out on the counter. The burgers had been made and pressed, and were just ready to be grilled. There were sourdough buns, cheese, bacon and fries, and a couple of beers chilling in the fridge. Dean had been planning this surprise for Cas for a while, and today was the perfect day to carry it out. The angel was off somewhere doing his Heavenly duties, and Sam was unconscious on his bed. So Dean set to work on his surprise. 

He shifted awkwardly as Sam suddenly entered the kitchen. He’d hoped his brother would be asleep long enough that he could avoid the inevitable uncomfortable line of questioning that was to follow. Sure enough, Sam’s face lit up, and he leaned over to see what Dean was cooking, inhaling deeply.

“Burgers, awesome.” He said enthusiastically.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah, uh, not for you. They’re for me and Cas. You’ve got plans, in your bedroom, involving sleep.” He told Sam firmly.

“You… I… _seriously_ , Dean?” Sam stared at him in disbelief. “You’re going to confine me to my room so you and Cas can have a date?”

Dean shrugged, his shoulders stiff. “Come on, Sammy, when do I ever ask you for anything like this, huh? Cas has had our backs for years, and I just want to show a little appreciation and cook for him. You know how he feels about burgers.”

Sam cocked an eyebrow. “I also know how he feels about you.” He responded dryly. “And for that reason alone I’m going to agree to his. Because when you two are making gooey eyes at each other, I want to be nowhere in the vicinity. Honestly, you two are worse than the couple out of that chick flick. The one with… never mind.” He realised quickly that expecting Dean to recognize a chick flick from the description was pointless.

“We are not like some chick flick couple, and this isn’t some romantic candlelit dinner.” Dean said firmly, pointing his spatula at Sam with narrowed eyes. “It’s just two guys who save each other’s asses a lot having dinner, who happen to be … a thing.”

“A thing.” Sam repeated flatly, giving Dean an amused stare. “Right, well, you get on with dinner then. I’ll grab a sandwich and be in my room. Try not to make too much noise.”

Dean watched as Sam excused himself, shifting uncomfortably at the connotations Sam had given this small surprise. There wasn’t anything to it, nothing that he’d implied. It was just dinner, and Dean needed to eat anyway, so it wasn’t like it was an inconvenience. He liked cooking for Castiel anyway. The angel was always appreciative, touched that Dean had thought of him even though it was impossible for Dean to do anything but these days.

Getting on with dinner, Dean grilled the burgers and assembled them, pleased with how they turned out, adding a generous amount of fries to each plate, and then getting a couple of beers out. Sitting down, he cleared his throat awkwardly and closed his eyes. “Uh, Castiel, angel of …”

“I’m here, Dean.” Castiel responded with a smile, standing in front of the counter. Dean’s eyes snapped open at such a quick response to his prayer, but his face softened immediately into a soft smile that mirrored Castiel’s. “Is this… for me?” Castiel asked quietly, gesturing to the plate and beer. He always asked, even if it was obvious, because he didn’t want to assume. It could be for Sam, after all.

“Yeah, it’s for you, Cas.” Dean rubbed the back of his neck again, as awkward as earlier. “I figured we could have dinner. It’s not a big deal or anything, it’s just … I thought you might want a burger. And I wanted to let you know I appreciate you.” He stared at the floor.

Castiel smiled, a blindingly happy smile, and reached out to take Dean’s hand, without moving away from the counter. “Thank you, Dean.” He murmured, and fidgeted a little. “As it happens, I was thinking of you, and I wanted to show you that I appreciate you too. So I brought you something.” He moved away from the counter to reveal a white box, and Dean suddenly registered the delicious smell that wasn’t his burgers. The obvious yet subtle permeating scent of …

“Pie!” He grinned, tugging Castiel over to him and kissing him softly. “You’re awesome. Now come on, I didn’t slave away for hours on these burgers for them to go cold and unappreciated.”

Taking his seat, Castiel looked at Dean adoringly, before starting to dig into the food, their hands entwined between them on the table.


	15. Batcave

Castiel didn’t sleep. He didn’t need to, and he didn’t see the point.

Dean, on the other hand, liked to sleep. Or at least, he needed to. He was used to not surviving on much, barely getting more than four hours every couple of nights. That was just the way it was, and most of the time he needed to drink to even get through those few hours without waking up, sweating and remembering his time in Hell. Growing up on lumpy motel mattresses that dozens of other people had slept on before him and sleeping bags in backwater cabins. 

So the discovery of the ‘Batcave’, the Men of Letters bunker, it gave Dean the opportunity to have the one thing he never had. A home, and a bedroom of his own, a place to call his own. And he made the most of every single part of it, lining the walls with his guns. The final addition was the memory foam mattress, a luxury that Dean had never had. It was perfect in every way, and enabled him to get more sleep than he ever had previously.

Dean’s love of the soft mattress came from two things: it had no funky motel stains, and that it remembered him. That all changed entirely when things took a different turn with Castiel, and then suddenly it remembered both of them.

But Castiel didn’t sleep, and that was a major problem. Not for the angel, who was content to spend his nights watching over Dean. But Dean was unnerved by the eyes on him as he went to sleep, unblinking and unflinching, and still on him when he woke up. So after Dean actively forbade him from doing it, Castiel began to dress and leave when Dean wanted to sleep, spending the night staring at the wall in the kitchen. It made Dean feel incredibly guilty, but he just couldn’t bear the idea of the angel sitting staring at him all night.

So they reached a compromise. Dean allowed Castiel to stay and watch over him, on the condition that he did so from under the covers, with Dean’s arms around him. They were both more than happy with such a suggestion, so every night, the hunter would wrap his arms around Castiel, who would rest his head on Dean’s chest and listen to his heartbeat.

Dean would never admit it to anyone else, but he slept a hell of a lot better with Castiel beside him. The nightmares that plagued him were long gone, and he now got a minimum of at least six hours per night, usually a little more. He assumed it was the result of having the warmth of Castiel sprawled over him, the fact that he’d found something in his life that he never thought he would.

Not that Castiel would ever admit it to Dean, but it was a little more than that. Whenever Dean’s brow began to furrow with the slightest hint that the nightmares were starting to approach, Castiel would gently touch two fingers to his forehead. That was all it took, to replace the memories of Hell with a blinding white light, gripping Dean’s shoulder and freeing him from the forty years of torture, both inflicted upon and by Dean. Whenever the hunter even started to remember the slightest thing that would distress him, Castiel replaced the memory with a memory of hope in a time of darkness.

And when Dean awoke, having slept nightmare-free and having slept for a good six hours, like that morning, he turned to Castiel and gave him the most brilliant crooked grin he could muster, and every morning it knocked Castiel breathless for a short time.

“Mornin’ Cas.” Dean grinned over at him, rubbing Castiel’s back where his hand sat. “You did a great job of keeping the demons away again.”

Castiel smiled at him and moved up so he could kiss Dean softly, smiling even more when he responded to the kiss. When he pulled back, he smiled at Dean. “Good morning, Dean.” He slid out of bed slowly and waved his hand, ensuring he was fully dressed again. After that, Castiel perched on the end of the bed to kiss Dean again. “Breakfast?”

Dean inclined his head lazily, sliding out of bed to shower and dress too, taking his time under the hot spray. When he stepped out, Castiel was waiting for him, with a cup of black coffee and a bag containing a breakfast burrito for Dean, from the nearby diner, as well as a fruit cocktail salad for Sam. They had breakfast in the kitchen, and that was where Sam came out of his bedroom and joined them.

It was trivial, human, and altogether more domestic than any of them thought they would have, but no matter what happened to them each day and night, Dean and Castiel wouldn’t change those mornings for the world.


	16. Witch

Dean wasn’t sure how it had happened, but they’d been taken completely by surprise. The witches had got the drop on all three of them, as if they’d known they were coming. One took on Sam, chanting quickly under her breath, all the while evading the swipes of Ruby’s knife. Dean and Castiel set about taking care of the other three, and with the angel it proved to be easier than they’d hoped.

With one witch left, Dean and Castiel wheeled around just in time to see Sam turn shock still. Whatever the witch was chanting, the spell had started to take hold. But she wasn’t finished yet, and Castiel reacted quickly. It took him less than two seconds to appear in front of her and kill her with a hand on her forehead. All three of them watched uncaringly as she dropped to the floor with her lips parted in a final expression of terror.

Dean turned to Sam with a look of triumph and relief at the fact that they had defeated the witches, but his expression turned into a frown when he realised Sam wasn’t there. Slowly, his eyes travelled down until he was looking at the small child standing next to him. He blinked once, twice, not sure if he actually believed what he was seeing, because the child next to him was one he was highly familiar with.

“ _Sammy_?” Dean stared. “Sam, what the hell, dude?”

Castiel knelt down and pressed two fingers to Sam’s temple, ignoring the way the now-child was looking up at Dean with his lips pursed and his jaw jutting out, a look that was far bitchier on an older face.

“So far as I can tell, this was an attempt to reverse Sam through his life, ending up with him having never been born.” Castiel straightened up after a moment. “Since the spell wasn’t complete, the effects are temporary and he still has the right mental age. It shouldn’t last longer than a week.”

“A week?!” Both Dean and Sam bellowed, and Castiel didn’t flinch, meeting Dean’s eyes with a look of exasperation.

“If you’ll allow me to finish, I was about to suggest I take you both straight to Bobby’s to see if he can come up with a quicker solution than waiting for the spell to wear off.”

Ignoring the sheepish look both Winchester’s gave him, Castiel held out two fingers on each hand and zapped them back to Bobby’s living room. A quick explanation ensued, with Sam and Dean bickering at each other while Castiel told Bobby what he needed to know.

“Idjits.” Bobby muttered under his breath, casting a look at Sam and Dean. “But you’re in luck, boys. I think I can help you out. You just gotta give me a couple hours to find what I need. So, Dean,” he raised his voice. “You an’ the angel are on babysittin’ duty. Take him for ice cream or somethin’ and leave me in peace.”

Sam folded his arms and huffed at the patronizing insinuation that he needed to be babysat, but there was nothing he could do about it. Even at full size, he wouldn’t dare answer Bobby back, so he begrudgingly followed Dean and Castiel outside to the Impala, which Castiel had remembered to bring back with them. He wasn’t dumb enough to face Dean’s wrath if he forgot about it.

“Ice cream, then, Sammy?” Dean asked, clapping his hands together and rubbing them.

Sam glared at him, but it only succeeded in making him look adorable. “I’m not actually a kid, Dean. I don’t want to go for ice cream, I just want to be left alone until I’m back to my proper size!” He snapped.

Dean held his hands up in defeat, and as Sam calmed down, he tried to discreetly take a picture with his cell phone. There was no reason he couldn’t have a little leverage to tease Sam with once he was back to normal. Unfortunately, he hadn’t banked on the shutter sound, and his eyes widened.

Sam growled under his breath and immediately dived at Dean, who took off running. “Delete that picture, you jerk!” He called, chasing after him on very short legs.

“No way, bitch. You don’t have those super long legs to catch me now!” Dean called back with a grin, speeding off ahead around the junkyard.

Castiel watched them, leaning back against the Impala with a sigh, shaking his head and muttering under his breath.

“Assbutts.”


	17. Trying

“Cas, come on, buddy, Dr. Sexy is about to start!” Dean bellowed from his favourite spot in front of the television.

Castiel hurried out of the bedroom he now shared with Dean, taking his spot on the couch next to Dean, and beaming when the hunter wrapped an arm around him firmly, holding him close. Dean had gotten a lot better at accepting their relationship recently, overlooking the fact that Castiel was, for all intents and purposes, a dude. Angels might not have genders, but Jimmy was long gone and Castiel’s brief stint as a human had ensured that the body was now his.

He pressed into Dean’s side unconsciously, dutifully turning to the television. He didn’t like Dr. Sexy, M.D. anywhere near as much as Dean did; unable to see the appeal at all. It was cheesy and not at all realistic. In fact, Castiel had tried to point out on more than one occasion that it was impractical for a man who practiced surgery to wear unsuitable footwear like cowboy boots, and that ghosts could be seen by everyone, not just attractive and neurotic doctors.

“Why is he called Dr. Sexy, Dean? His ID card clearly states that his name is Dr. Palmer.” Castiel voiced, resting his head on Dean’s shoulder with a content smile.

Sam, who had just entered the room, snorted and settled down in a chair as far away from the loved-up couple as he could get. “Yeah, Dean, why is that?” He teased.

Dean scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Well… because he’s sexy, Cas. Uh, or so most people think.” He added hastily, spotting the barest hint of a frown on the angel’s face. “I don’t think he is at all.”

Satisfied, Castiel returned to nuzzling into Dean’s shoulder, keeping his eyes on the screen as Dr. Sexy and Dr. Piccolo came on screen, lying on one of the hospital beds, spooning. It caught his attention immediately, and he sat up, leaning closer and watching the interaction with interest. This was apparently something humans did, humans who had just had sex, if he was understanding the scene properly.

“Dean, why don’t we do that?” He asked in confusion, wondering if it was something he should be doing.

Across the room, Sam started choking, and he hurriedly excused himself from the room, saying he was going to bed. The sound of his laughter could be heard floating back to them as the taller Winchester made his way to his bedroom.

Dean, who had went shock still and red from the question, cleared his throat. “Ah, well, I don’t know.” He admitted eventually, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “I mean… I’ve done it with chicks, it’s just a little weird thinking about doing that with you. You don’t even sleep.”

Castiel didn’t look disheartened; if anything, he looked encouraged, because that wasn’t an outright refusal. He turned to Dean with a hopeful look, because he’d thought the spooning had looked nice, and both of the doctor’s on television appeared to enjoy it.

“I’m the big spoon.” Dean said firmly, relenting at the look on Castiel’s face. “That means I have my arm around you. And we watch the rest of the show in silence.”

Dutifully, Castiel kept his mouth zipped for the rest of the show, content to just stay with Dean’s arm around him. He could deal with the terrible show if it meant he and Dean could cuddle like that later.

Later, after a vigorous round of loud sex that had left Sam bellowing across the hall about inconsiderate jerks, sweaty and sated, Dean moved to press his chest to Castiel’s back, throwing an arm over his waist and holding him close. Thrilled, Castiel leaned back into the touch and closed his eyes happily. He might not sleep, but he could pretend, because he could stay in Dean’s arms forever.

Dean fidgeted uncomfortably for a few moments, shifting his position three times in as many minutes, before he sighed. “Cas, this is weird. I can’t.” He withdrew his arm, putting a small amount of space between them as he rolled onto his back.

Castiel was quiet for a few moments, and Dean thought he wasn’t going to reply, so he sighed, closing his eyes.

“Maybe we should try it the other way.” Castiel spoke up after a moment, and before Dean had a chance to reply, the angel’s naked form was draped over him, a thigh over his and an arm across his chest. He found himself pulled closer, Castiel clinging to him like a limpet.

After struggling to free himself for a few moments, in vain, Dean just accepted this was happening and allowed himself to relax. After another few moments, he begrudgingly accepted this wasn’t too bad and he could deal with it. Castiel was warm and his presence comforting, and the sound of his breathing was soothing. It was kind of nice.

“I like this.” Castiel mumbled, his voice sounding sleepy, even though he was wide awake. “Can we do this every night?”

Dean hid his smile, burying his face into the angel’s neck. “If that’s what you want, Cas. G’night.”

**Author's Note:**

> [My Tumblr](http://diceandpokerchips.tumblr.com/)


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